Truck-steering mechanism.



4 H. H. HARRIS. TRUCK STEERING MBGHANISM. APPLICATION FILED PIL 1e, 1913 Patented Jan. 6, 197A.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. H. HARRIS.

TRUCK STEERING MBGHANISM. APPLIOATION- FILED Amas, 1913.

l ,083,681 Patented JaI'1,'6, 1914.

2 SHEET S-SHEBT 2.

` -torzz zy N UNITED sTA'rEs- PATENT ori-Frou..

:actus n; HARRIS, or mmm, OHIO, Assiettes ro'THETHnWfA-Urolvrarc sHovEL COMPANY, or LORAIN, OHIO, A CORPORATION or omo.

TRUCK-STEERING-i MECHANISM.

Specicationrof Letters-Patent;

'Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

Application tiled April 16, 1913` Serial No. 76h54?.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HOLLIS H. HARRIS,

a citizen of the United States, residing atv Lorain, in the county of Lorain-and State of v Ohio, have invented a-certain new" and-useful Improvement in Truck-Steering Mechaof which are the well known steam shovels,-

excavators, etc., adapted-to travel independently of any trackway.l My prior application N o. 605,815,- filed-January 31, 1911 for truck steering mechanism shows, describes and claims such :a truck combined with flexible connectionsbetween the superstructure and-the steering-axle, enabling-the turning of the superstructure to automatically turn the axle to steer the machine.

The present' invention -is an improvement on that portion of thev embodiment. of such prior l,application which' relatesl tothe connection of the flexible mechanism with the superstructure, in that the present invention provides a simple and effective mechanism, easily operatable at will from the superstructure for coupling such superstructure to the flexible connecting mechanism and uncoupling it therefrom, as desired. This enables the operator in the cab of the superstructure to automatically steer the machine when it 4is propelled, and to throw out the connection to swing the superstructure independently without the necessity ofdescending fro the cab.

The invention comprises the means by;

which this simple and effective connection is rovided, as hereinafter morev fully eX- plained and as summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a Side elevation of a portion of the steam shovel or similar machine equipped with my invention;

Fig. 2` is a sectional plan of a plane justabove the truck, being sectioned through the king pin or swivel and the vertical propelling'and turningshafts; Fig. 3 is a4 front elevation of the truck, the front cross' beam of the truck frame being removed for clear ness of illustration; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of a portion of the mechanism adjacent to the heel of theboom illustratingthe coupling mechanism of this lnvention- Asshown in the drawing, the -truck frame consists fof longitudinal beams lO'and various cross beams 11'.

12 indicates the forward wheels. of the truck: which are mounted onanfaxle 13 journaledin bearings on theunder sides of the b'eams 10.

14 indicates the rear wheels, which are mounted on anaXle 15 pivoted ina block`16 which has an upward shank 17 whereby7 itis swiveledin the rear cross bars of the truck frame.

a0 vindicates the superstructure which is swiveled-On thet-ruck frame. A-cent'ral vertical driving shaft 21 leads downwardly' from propelling 'mechanism (not shown) in the superstructure through the swivel, and is connected by beveled gearing with-a foreand-aft shaft 22, which connects `by bevel gearing lwith the axle 13. This provides for propelling the vehicle. Extending downwardly from the mechanism within the cab is a vertical shaft. 25 having a pinion-26 meshing withthe stationary gear 27 carried on the top of the truck. Adjacent to 4this gearvis an annular trackway 28v on. which ride wheels 29 carried by the.superstructure.l

This construction Aprovides for swinging the superstructure aboutits swivel, as desired.

The boom, indicated by 30, is suitably-car' ried by the superstructure. As shown, its lower end is supported by `brackets 31 mounted on a cross rod 32 secured between the beams 33 of the platform constituting the floor of the superstructure.

The machine described is steered by swinging the rear axle 15 on the swivel 17. I'accomplish this by means of two chains 40 and 41 which lead from the anchorage near the forward end of the machine downwardly across pulleys 42 'and 43 and then rearwardly over movable pulleys 44 connected with the rear axle and then'around a transverse shaft 45. One of these chains, as 40, passes onto the shaft 45 from above, and the other (41) from below, so that the turning of the shaft winds in one chain and slackens on the other. The shaft is normally locked by reason of the worm wheel 47 thereon, which meshes with a worm 48 on a shaft 49.

From the construct-ion described it will be seen that if the anchorage for theforward Loaaeeli end of the chain is stationary, the turning of -chored to the superstructure.

the shaft 219 (for example, by a crank on its rear end) will swing the aXle 15 about the swivel 17 to steer the machine. On the otheil hand, if it is desired to steer the machine automatically by the `turning of the boom (as claimed in my prior application referred to) the forward ends offthe chains are an- The worm gear makes an lautomatic lock for the rear end of the chains, and accordingly, the turning of the superstructure steers the machine. As in the use of the steam shovel, the superstructure is constantly swung. When it is not desired to propel or steer the machine, it is very desirable to have a? connection be, tween the superstructure and. chains which may be readily thrown into and out of action from the platform. I accomplish this in the present invention by mechanism which I will now describe.

Slidably mounted on the top of the truck bars 10 is an arcual bar 50 concentric of the turn table. This bar is shown as an angle iron having a vertical flange 51. 1t is slidably guided by clips 52 and 53 secured to the frame barslO. Adjacent to the mid point of the arcual bar 50 on its forward side is secured an angle bracket 55 having a horizontal fiange 56,- to the under side of which is permanently secured the forward end of the chains i0 and 41. 0n the upper face of the flange 56 are a pair of spaced lugs 5S. Rotatably mounted on the lshaft 32 and held centrally by sleeves 61 on that shaft is a block (it) adapted to swing downward by gravity and have its lower end G2 stand between the lugs 58. This block thus locks the chain anchorage to the superstructure so that the turning of the superstructure may steer the vehicle, the arenal bar 50 sliding .around in its guideway in such movement.

The swinging of the block (PO on its aXis withdraws it from between the lugs 58 and thus disconnects the chains of the superstructure. To swing the block in 'this way conveniently from the platform, l provide an arm (l-Llon the block which Lis connected by a vertical chain (S5 with the lever 66. This lever is shown as pivoted at 67 having a handle (38 at its other end. The lever may rest upon the floor 69 of the platform when the block G0 is in locking position; then to disconnect the parts it is only necessary to raise the lever and hold it in raised position. For this purpose 1 may provide a suitable standard 70 having a notch in its upper end in which the lever may rest afterr it has been raised/ to swing the block 60 to disconnect the mechanism.

Vhen the automatic steering mechanism described is disconnected by the raising-of the lever 66, the locking of the arc'ual bar 50 to the truck frame by anyI suitable means the truck frame, so'that the machine may be steered by-'hand by rotating the' shaft 49. A convenient means to lock this arcual bar is a coupling pin 72 which may be passed through one of the brackets 52 into a properly positioned opening in the flange 5l of the arcual bar. This coupling pin 72 is shown in Fig. 3 as depending from a chain' in idle position. y

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is: y

l. The combination. of a truck frame, steering wheels, a platform rotatably mount- 'ed on the frame?, flexible devices connected with the steering wheels, and means oper- .atedcfipm the platform for connecting and disconnecting the flexible devices with the platform.

2. The combination of a truck frame havfor locking said movable member at will`tothe platform.

4. The combination of a truck having steering wheels, a superstructure swiveled on the truck, a slidable member mounted on the truck, flexible connections between the same and the steering wheels, and means for locking said slidable member to the superstructure.

5. The combination of a truck having steering wheels, a superstructure swiveled on the truck. an arcual member slidable on the truck concentrically of the swivel, flexible members connecting the arcual member with the steering wheels, and mechanism operatable at will for connecting the arcual .member with the superstructure.

G. rlhe combination of a truck having steering wheels, a superstructure swiveled on the truck, a member slidably mounted on the truck, flexible connections between said member'and the steering wheels, a locking device carried by the superstructure adapted to coact with said sliding member, and means on the superstructure for moving the locking device.

`,7. The combination of a truck, a superstructure swiveled thereon, an arcual member slidably mounted on the truck concentric of the swivel, L pair of flexible connections leading" in opposite directions from thel arcualimember to a movable axle for two of anchors the chains at their forwardfendto.'

the. wheelspam locking device carried by.t

supcr'structure'adapted to connect witlit "'y arcual member or be disconnectedthcnefrom7 and means on the superstructure for moving said locking device.

8. The combination of' a Wheel truck having'a steering axle, a platform swveled on the truck, an arcual' bar'slidably mounted on the truck concentric of the sWivel,. flexible connections anchored-at one end to the arcual bar andconnected with the axle on opposite sides of its pivot', a movable locking device carried by the platform and adapted to interlock with the arcual bei', a lever on the platform, and a connection between it and the locking device.

9. The combination of a truck having steering Wheels, a platform swiveled on the truck, an arcual bar located in a horizontal plane on the truck and concentric of the swivel, said bar being slidably guided on the truck frame `and having a horizontal and a vertical flange, a pair of flexible members, an anchorage vfor one end of said members secured to the vertical liange of the arcual bar, said flexible members passing in op posite directions from such anchorage across pulleys to a movable axle on which the steering Wheels are mounted, a swinging dog carried by the platform and adapted to interlock with `means secured to the vertical flange of the arcual bar, a lever on the platform, anda connection between it and the dov.

lan testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

I HOLLIS H.v HARRIS. Witnesses C. A. WEBER,

H. B. NEWTON. 

